Shoe sling back strap support



Feb. 14, 1950 R, W, FLOR() 2,497,720

I SHOE SLING BACK STRAP SUPPORT Filed March 23, 1946 INVENToR. foar/vr hf, ,H0/w,

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 SHOE SLING BACK STRAP SUPPORT Robert W. Floro, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Henry Y. Fowler, Sr., Anderson, and Edgar W. Bidwell, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 23, 1946, Serial No. 656,595

(Cl. 12--128l 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a support for a portion of a shoe and more particularly one having a sling back strap formation although not necessarily restricted thereto.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively inexpensive, self seating and sustaining support for use in shoes of the aforesaid type.

The chief feature of the present invention resides in the U-shaped semi-resilient strap type support which when applied to a shoe is gener ally concealed thereby and when not concealed is neither incongruous or objectionable in appearance.

The support is further characterized in use by slightly bowing outwardly opposite sides of the shoe to which the strap is a continuation.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe with the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the support per se.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, dotted lines indicating the side bowing action thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of a modiiied form of anchoring end.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a still further modied form of end.

In Fig. l of the drawings I0 indicates the sole of a shoe of the character indicated, said shoe having the upper II which may expose the toes as at l2 and further having sides I3 with strap extensions I4, one of which may include a fastener such as a buckle I5. To the sole is secured heel I6 and the shoe illustrated contains no back or counter.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 2 and 3 as well as Fig. 1. The support, the subject matter of this invention, preferably is formed of one piece of semi-resilient strap metal or other suitable material.

Such support includes a curved mid portion I'I and two bowable elongated arm extensions I8. The ends I9 in said figures are formed by biasing said ends to form prongs for shoe penetration.

The support can be applied to the shoe illustrated as follows: The two diverging ends I9 are brought towards each other and inserted in the shoe and released, the pronged ends engaging the inner sole at the junction of the opposite sides therewith.

Then with the shoe held in one hand, the other pulls rearwardly and upwardly on the mid portion until the buckled strap, for example, is engaged thereby. The prongs, etc., also are drawn rearwardly.

When thus preliminarily positioned, or registered as it were, the support is drawn rearwardly to put the strap I4 under the desired tension while prongs I9 are caused to anchor in the inner sole at the side junctions therewith. In this condition not only is anchorage effected but the arms bow, see dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus the rear portions of the sides and adjacent portions of straps I4 are bowed outwardly as shown in Fig. 1.

As illustrated herein the device is semi-concealed as it were so that if the sample shoe be used for display purposes the parts thereof will be sustained in the normal position occupied when mounted on a foot.

In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a slightly modied and slightly more expensive form of anchor end IIS while in Fig. 5 the pronged end II9 can include a twist 229.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A shoe heel strap support comprised of a single U-shaped member having arms of a length to dispose the U-bend in strap engagement and to terminate within the shoe near the ball portion thereof, the U-bend portion normally disposing the arms in diverging relation, the arms having inherent bowability in a plane common to the arms and U-bend portion, and barb terminations on the ends of the arms and disposed similarly and angularly of the common plane.

ROBERT W. FLORO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,102,464 Youngman July 7, 1914 1,104,304 Legge July 21, 1914 1,330,428 Burns Feb. 10, 1920 1,904,506 Morden Apr. 18, 1933 1,945,422 Dailey Jan. 30, 1934 1,965,431 Prewitt July 3, 1934 2,014,070 Legge Sept. 10, 1935 2,408,545 Barber Oct. 1, 1946r FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 177,459 Great Britain Mar. 30, 1922 

